Laugh a Defiance.

RICHARDSON, Mary.

Published by London: George Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1953

About this Item

First edition, first impression, of this scarce and significant suffragette autobiography. Mary Raleigh Richardson (1882/3-1961) was a Canadian suffragette who lived in the UK. She was a devoted supporter of Emmeline Pankhurst, one of the dedicatees of this title, and contributed to the more militant tactics of the movement, including arson and her 1914 defacement of the Rokeby Venus. She was arrested nine times, and was one of the first two women force-fed, released, and re-arrested under the 1913 Cat and Mouse Act; the WSPU awarded her the Hunger Strike Medal for Valour. In 1932, she joined the British Union of Fascists, and became head of the Women's Section of the party in 1934, although she left within two years after becoming disillusioned with the sincerity of the party's policy on women. The title of this book is taken from Dame Ethel Smyth's "The March of the Women". This copy is inscribed on the front free endpaper to one Georgina Pearson, "To Georgina, with best wishes on your birthday, from, Jenny, July 1956", with Pearson's ownership signature above. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in black. With dust jacket. Spine and extremities sunned, spine ends and corners lightly bumped, lower edges rubbed, slight foxing to edges and endleaves. A very good copy in good jacket, price-clipped, toned and lightly foxed, tape repair to verso of foot of spine, a few chips and nicks to edges, short closed tears to flap folds.

Seller Inventory # 161594

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Laugh a Defiance.
• Publisher: London: George Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1953
• Edition: 1st Edition